Wait for Process

The Wait for Process action waits for a specific process to start or stop.

Note: The Actions Quick Reference provides a complete list of actions that you can print for easy reference.

Create a Wait for Process action

1. Ensure that the user who will be running this action is a local administrator and/or the bot is running as an administrator.

2. If you do not already know the exact name of the process that you want to wait for, find it.

   1. Open the Task Manager on the computer.

   2. On the Processes tab, under Apps, double-click the process.

   3. Click the Details tab on the Properties window.

   4. Note the process's Name.

   Or

   1. Open the Task Manager on the computer.

   2. Click the Details tab.

   3. Note the process's Name.

3. On the Actions list, click Computer and select Wait for Process. Optionally, click the Magic Wand to use the Expression Builder.

4. Enter the process name in the Process field.

5. Select to Wait for the Process to start or Process to stop.

6. In the timing settings, select how long wait for the process to start or stop.

7. If needed, adjust the Run error task settings to fine tune how the action runs.

   • Run error task: A botflow containing an error task automatically runs the error task in the event of an error. If the botflow does not contain an error task, the botflow stops in the event of an error.
   • Stop on error: The botflow stops in the event of an error.
   • Ignore errors: The action is skipped in the event of an error and the botflow attempts to execute the next action.

8. (Optional) Add a Note to document special instructions or functionality.

9. Toggle the run switch to Run and click OK to execute and save the action.

Note: The run switch is set to Run by default. To create or modify this action without executing it, click the slider to change the option to Don't Run.  For more information, go to Action Builder.

When the action is executed, Nintex Bot will first get the names of all processes running and then check each one against the name that you set up in the action. If the process is found, then that means that it is running. If the process is not found, then it is not running. Nintex Bot will wait for the process by name, and then depending on the settings, it will succeed or fail.

Here are examples of how the action works, depending on the settings: 

• If the process is not found and you set up the action to wait to stop, the action was successful.

• If the process is found and you set up the action to wait to start, the action was successful.

• Nintex Bot will continue to check for the desired condition until the timing constraints are met or the conditions are met.

  • If the 'Wait for' setting is not satisfied and the condition is not met, Nintex Bot will pause for 500 milliseconds and try again by getting all the processes and then comparing the names.

  • If you selected 'Do not wait' in the timing settings, Nintex Bot will only try to find the process once and then return a success or failure message.

  • If you selected to 'Wait up to' a specific time in the timing settings, Nintex Bot will pause for 500 milliseconds and then try again. If the action conditions are met, then it will return a success message. If the action conditions are not met and the timing constraints have been met, the action will return a failure message, or it will continue to retry until the specified wait time has been reached or the condition has been met.

  • If you selected to wait forever in the timing settings, Nintex Bot will continue to attempt to pause for 500 milliseconds and try again by getting all the processes and then comparing the names until the conditions are met, the execution is paused or stopped, or the application is closed. This is not recommended.